Finn and his mystery writer uncle are off to exotic Occo, located between Lesser Occo and Morocco. Uncle Stoppard has been nominated for the most prestigious award in mysterydom: the Ruby Raven. The grand prize? One million dollars, as well as a dark, carved bird with real rubies for eyes and a ruby pendant dangling from its neck.

Even with all of the excitement of Uncle Stoppard's nomination, Finn starts getting nervous. There was a strange car that exploded just as they were leaving the airport, and a Moroccan cobra that was slithering in his room when he arrived.... Is it a coincidence? Or could one of the invited authors be too eager to win the bucks and the bird?